San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-07-30
Public Clamor for sewers.

The wisdom that comes after the event is
not TO be despiSed, but TO parade that wisdom
is not an evidence Of prOfundty. A member
of the board If health is reported in tbs
mornings paper attempt ng to decry the
newspaper criticism" which he seems to hold
responsible for the publ ciamOr" on the
sewer question. This servant of the people
remark that, the papers have been raising
a great hullabalOO over this sa1itary questIO
and have screamed themselves hOarse for
sewers" lie further says: For my own
part ] have been convinced all along that
sewers were not good for the public health"
The scientific results II this mans COgIta-
tons come too late 10 be available. Whe o.
this terrible clamOr about sewers was raised
why did not this distinguished sanitarian give
an ignorant community and the bowling pa
pers the benefit of his wise cOnclusiOnsg
When the investigation was ordered into the
methods OF diSpOslug OF the garbage of this
city, It was with view to ascertain the best
system of sewerage practicable for San AntO-
MO. The garbagA furnaces were merely for
the burning of kitchen and yard and street
refuse, and had no reference to the DISPOSE
tion OF focal matter Col. Belknap's investi.
cations led TO u conclusion against sewers
That conclusion was accepted, rs presented in
this Journal some days since, and that was the
first demonstration Of the unhealthfulness
and undesirabeness of sewers this city had
presented to IL. Is there any reason 10 doubt
that had the accomplished sanitarian, who
knew this fact all along, made the same dem
onstration years ago that he would have
stopped all this newspaper clamOr for sewersI
The nltny condition of this city is notorious
The papers that this health officer attempts TO
traduce have called attention TO uisinces
again and again, that have remained vi abat-
ed. There are more smells that are rank and
which reach the houses and noses OF the D o.
pie in this city, than there were 10 Cologne
Nothing but the incessant worrying of the
press has kept the streets and alleys aud
premises of the city in even their present con-
dition. What the people and the press clam
ored for was not sewers" so much az for
something that would relieve the city from
the odium that attached to its neglected sani-
tation. The readiness with which they have
accepted the proposal to try the garbage fur
mace and the consumption of focal matter is
answer sufficient to the charge of "hogling
forsewers." The people viii be satisfied when
any move Is really made looking to the SAM
tary interests of this city. They are not Justly
chargeable with Impotence for they have kept
maryeilously silent n understanding their
souls, sickening with fear, have continued
70 cry. waiting for the movement of the sani-
tary vaters-how long U, Lord how long2
Had the superior wisdom, which knew all
along that sewers were not good for this city,
kindly enlightened the citizens two or three
years since. instead of waiting until tbt re-
port, which was 10 the man who made IL, at
after the evil would not have been assaiIed
with press clamors The board of health that
recommended sewers to satisfy public camor,
knowing it to be wrong" this board OF health
mans own anguage) is not safe body TO
trust with the health OF city of 5000 people.
~-s
Justice Barnes this morning united
John Fintu and Miss Mary Irwin in the